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Aeromexico says it saved more than a thousand pounds of carbon emissions during a recent "green" test flight between Mexico City and San Jose, Costa Rica. The flight utilized lighter on-board materials, greater recycling and updated procedures both on the ground and in the air. "With these initiatives, the airline seeks to become the pioneer in the industry in Mexico and become a proactive partner of the efforts being made worldwide to improve the quality of the air and prevent climate change," Aeromexico said in a statement.

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Aeromexico used biofuel to power a commercial trans-Atlantic flight of a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The 11-hour flight departed Mexico City and arrived in Madrid on Tuesday. "The flight was a success, and Boeing was very happy to partner with Aeromexico and the government of Mexico to achieve this significant milestone," said Van Rex Gallard, an executive at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Southwest Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with its pilots union that would allow the carrier to add Boeing 737-800s to its fleet. The agreement remains subject to approval by the rank-and-file pilots. The union has acknowledged that the jetliners have the potential to boost Southwest's revenue.

Boeing says it has picked up orders for 30 737 jets, valued at $2.1 billion at average list prices. The order, from an undisclosed buyer, follows an order just last week for 40 737s and raises Boeing's orders for the year to 422, nearly three times the orders received for all of 2009.

The head of the U.S. Export-Import Bank said Thursday that government-backed financing offered to Persian Gulf airlines has not distorted markets and put U.S. and European carriers at a disadvantage. "There are a lot of countervailing forces in terms of the aircraft industry, from the manufacturers to the airlines," Fred Hochberg told reporters in Dubai. "What is under discussion is how to find the most equitable way of dealing with it." In an interview with Fox Business News, the Air Transport Association Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary David Berg said, "what we have is a structural problem that affects entire airline industry. The export credit framework distorts competition, and that is a problem that needs to be corrected."

"Green" flights have moved from the Pacific to the Atlantic, with both American Airlines and Air France conducting tests between the U.S. and Europe. American said its Boeing 767-300 flying from Paris to Miami saved about 1,500 pounds of fuel through continuous climb and descent, tailored arrival and other measures. Over the course of the year, American aims to reduce fuel consumption by 120 million gallons through its Fuel Smart program.